Chapter 10
I removed Bianca from my house that week.
Not from existence.
Not from family permanently.
From the house.
She cried when I said it.
“You’re choosing Evelyn.”
“No.”
“Then Clara?”
“No.”
I looked at her.
“I’m choosing a home where women do not disappear because you feel replaced.”
That silenced her.
She asked about Ethan.
Harder.
“No unsupervised contact.”
Her face broke.
“I raised him.”
“Yes.”
“I love him.”
“I know.”
That was the tragedy.
Love did not make her safe.
People resist that truth.
They prefer dangerous people to be loveless.
Simpler.
Bianca loved Ethan fiercely.
She also hid his mother’s letters and imprisoned the woman he called Mom.
Both.
She whispered:
“He’ll think I abandoned him.”
Interesting.
“No.”
I paused.
“I will not lie to him the way you lied about Evelyn.”
Her eyes closed.
Fair.
We would tell him age-appropriate truth.
Aunt Bianca did something very wrong.
She needs to live somewhere else.
You did not cause it.
You may miss her.
All true.
Ethan did miss her.
Immediately.
Children do not coordinate affection with justice.
He asked:
“Bianca home?”
“No.”
“Tomorrow?”
“No.”
“Why?”
Because she kept Evie under the floor.
Too much.
I said:
“She made Evie stay somewhere she didn’t want to stay.”
He frowned.
“Bad?”
“Yes.”
“Aunt Bianca bad?”
“No.”
Important.
“She did something bad.”
He considered.
Then:
“Evie stay?”
I looked at Evelyn.
She was sitting across the room.
Her face changed.
She answered herself.
“If you want me to.”
Ethan ran to her.
Good.
May you like
Not because Bianca lost.
Because choice returned.
